Bid of the Republic of for the relocation of the European Medicines Agency to

www.emazingvienna.at 1 Summary

Vienna offers

–– a location in the geographical centre of Europe –– excellent accessibility by air and rail –– a leading-edge life-science and academic research sector –– the highly efficient Austrian Regulatory Agency: AGES MEA –– pharmaceutical industry and expert professions at hand –– a choice of eight suitable office buildings for EMA –– a reliable ICT infrastructure –– first-class hotels and a powerful convention industry –– smoothly functioning public services –– a safe environment for city dwellers –– a reasonable office and housing price level –– more than 700 free places in international schools –– professional support for the relocation of EMA and its staff –– and above all: the most liveable city in the world

“VIENNA will be a prime location for EMA“

The Austrian Federal Government presents the candidature of Vienna as the future seat of the European Medicines Agency (EMA). We value EMA’s key role in protecting public and animal health in the Member States of the European Union. We want to offer the perfect conditions for the agency, its staff and its partners in the discharge of their important tasks from the first day onwards and over the long term.

We are convinced that Vienna combines all the relevant factors to make our city a prime future location for EMA, in particular world class life science research, companies and top international Christian Kern academic institutions in the field that provide the talent needed Federal Chancellor for EMA to thrive.

Vienna’s location in the heart of Europe comes with excellent connectivity and infrastructure that provide the ideal environment for EMA’s European and international activities, which in turn will be further supported by the availability of customised office locations for EMA’s specific requirements.

Vienna has been successful in attracting international organisa- tions for decades. While each of them has different remits and requirements, they do have one thing in common: all of them already enjoy the excellent living and working conditions in Vienna that both the employees and visitors of EMA soon could also enjoy. Reinhold Mitterlehner Vice Chancellor

1 Future office location of EMA ...... 7

2 Accessibility and public transport...... 11

3 Accommodation for delegates and experts...... 15

4 R&D and scientific community...... 17

5 AGES MEA – the Austrian regulatory agency ...... 21

6 Pharmaceutical industry...... 24

7 Vienna – an ICT hub...... 27

8 Quality of life and city of diversity ...... 29

9 Education in Vienna ...... 32

10 Housing in Vienna ...... 37

11 Health care in Austria ...... 38

12 Mobility within the EU...... 43

13 Expat and relocation support...... 46

14 Privileges and immunities...... 48

15 Business environment for foreign companies...... 49

16 Medical conferences and conventions ...... 53

17 International organisations and NGOs...... 55 Future office location of EMA

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6 1 Future office location of EMA

The City of Vienna has identified the best pos- –– Direct connection to Vienna Internatio- sible office locations for EMA in Vienna. The nal Airport requirements for this market screening were: –– Praterstern metro station (U1 and ) –– Excellent connection to the motorway –– 26,450 m² office space available (A22, A23 and A4) –– Perfect connection to public transport –– Perfect connection to an international airport 2 Erdberger Lände - VIE 26/VIE (see page 6) –– Business hotels within walking 1030 Vienna, Erdberger Lände distance –– Guaranteed ready for occupation in The Green Building is situated in the middle of 2019 a new urban district – directly on the Danube Canal and vis-à-vis the Prater recreation area. The excellent transport connections guarantee Within these requirements, six possible office fast travel to the city centre as well as to the opportunities and two unique historical buildings airport. were found: –– Excellent connection to the motorway –– Austria Campus (A22, A23 and A4) –– Erdberger Lände – VIE26/VIE –– Direct connection to Vienna Internatio- –– HoHo Seestadt Aspern nal Airport (A4) –– QBC 2A + 2B –– Kardinal-Nagl-Platz metro station (U3) –– Square Plus –– The Icon Vienna – Tower 88 –– Georg-Coch-Platz 3 Hoho - Seestadt Aspern (see page 6) –– Haus am Schottentor 1220 Vienna, Seestadt Aspern

The lake park area of Seestadt, with its all-wood 1 Austria Campus (see page 6) skyscraper HoHo, is located in the largest urban 1020 Vienna, Walcherstrasse development area in Europe. Restaurants and shops are already situated on 3,200 m² in the The expansive local park and recreation area Seestadt Aspern area of Vienna, and the first Prater – a green oasis in the heart of Vienna 2,600 housing units are occupied. and home to the famous Riesenrad, Vienna’s giant ferris wheel – is within walking distance.

www.emazingvienna.at 7 Future office location of EMA

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8 –– The railway stations and airports of 6 The Icon Vienna - Tower 88 (see page 8) Vienna and Bratislava are within easy 1100 Vienna, Wiedner Gürtel reach. –– Seestadt metro station (U2) An office centre with excellent transport –– Sustainable traffic and mobility connections is being built near the cultural planning in Seestadt centre Belvedere Palace, where Gustav Klimt’s famous painting “The Kiss” is exhibited.

4 QBC 2A & 2B (see page 6) –– Direct proximity to Vienna Central 1100 Vienna, Wiedner Gürtel Station/Wien Hauptbahnhof with direct connection to the airport A new city district, Quartier Belvedere (QBC), is –– Metro station (U1) being developed close to Vienna’s city centre. –– Good connection to the motorway The central location near the new Vienna (A23) Central Station/Wien Hauptbahnhof guarantees the best public transport connections to all parts of the city. The historical Belvedere Palace 7 Georg-Coch-Platz (see page 8) garden, just a short walk away, invites you to 1010 Vienna, Georg-Coch-Platz linger and enjoy its beauty. Georg-Coch-Platz, in the heart of Vienna’s first –– Direct public transport connection to district, is within walking distance of the Danube Vienna International Airport Canal, the Stadtpark, and St. Stephen’s Cathe- –– Leisure, sports, health and cultural faci- dral. It was built according to the plans of Otto lities in the immediate vicinity Wagner in the Art Nouveau style. –– Metro station (U1) –– Right in the centre of Vienna –– Schwedenplatz (U1, U4) and Stubentor 5 Square Plus (see page 8) (U3) metro stations 1190 Vienna, Muthgasse –– Good connection to the motorway (A22, A23, A4) The building is located directly on the Heiligen- stadt transport hub and guarantees optimal connections to locations in the entire city. One of 8 Haus am Schottentor (see page 8) Vienna’s most popular recreation areas, Danube 1010 Vienna, Schottengasse Island, is in the immediate vicinity. The Haus am Schottentor is an elegant palace –– Suburban railway station and Heiligen- located on the famous Ringstrasse boulevard in stadt metro station (U4) Vienna within walking distance of many sights –– Excellent connection to the motorway and attractions. The is right (A22) around the corner.

www.emazingvienna.at 9 –– Right in the centre of Vienna PRIME RENTS (IN €/M2) –– Schottentor metro station (U2) –– Good connection to the motorway Bucharest € 18.0 (A22, A23, A4) Vienna € 25.5 Amsterdam € 30.5 Milan € 41.0

All of these eight properties can be delivered Paris € 65.5 turn-key according to EMA requirements. The London (West End) € 104.0 properties offer a modern, high quality office building standard (modern cooling, heating and € 0.0 € 20.0 € 40.0 € 60.0 € 80.0 € 100.0 € 120.0 ventilation systems). Source: EHL Market Research, Q3 2016

Additional possible locations Should the time plan be postponed, further The vacancy rate of approximately 5.3% has suitable properties would additionally become remained at almost at the same level for available: many years now, indicating the strength of the Viennese office market. There are only minor –– Danube City Tower 2 differences between the submarkets of the www.viennadc.at Vienna office market, and prime rents are paid –– Forum Donaustadt in the city centre and in high-rise buildings in a www.forum-donaustadt.at good location. A typical lease duration for office –– Julius-Tandler-Platz space in Vienna is 5 – 15 years, and the net www.althanquartier.at ranges from 14.25 – 25.50 EUR/m² in modern –– Komet Plaza/ VIO office buildings (modern cooling and ventilation Schönbrunner Schlossstrasse systems, raised floors, efficient building grid, –– Seeparkquartier sustainable development with moderate service www.aspern-seestadt.at charges). The service charges can be calculated –– Neu Marx | www.neumarx.at using an average of 3.00 – 4.50 EUR/m². –– Triiiple | www.triiiple.at In a sample calculation of the identified office –– Bank Austria Building projects, the offered monthly rents (net rent + Lassallestrasse 1 service charges excluding parking and VAT) –– Bank Austria Building including standard fit-out would therefore lie Lassallestrasse 5 between approximately EUR 460,000 and EUR 621,000 for the total office space. Vienna’s office market is generally very stable with a moderate rent level compared to other European cities, as you can see in the following chart of the prime rents (in EUR/m2 per month) in a Europe-wide comparison.

10 2 Accessibility and public transport

Vienna International Airport (VIE) ideally placed as a high-performance hub for the In 2016 Vienna International Airport reported 23.4 international trade and logistics sectors. million passengers. Few airports are situated closer to the city centre, as it can be reached by CAT (City Airport Train) within just 16 minutes. Public means of transport A total of 75 airlines serve 181 destinations in 73 A city of short distances, Vienna provides countries, including direct flights to all European optimal infrastructure. Public transportation is capitals. With 37 direct connections, Vienna almost always on time independent of weather Airport is a hub for the CEE region. It ranks fifth conditions. With 77 million kilometres travelled among all European airports in terms of punc- annually, public transportation operates at 90 tuality. second intervals at peak times. Vienna’s public transport operator Wiener Linien is responsible for some 179 underground, tram and bus lines Rail connection serving a total network of 850 kilometres. Major European trunk routes and interregional rail links all pass through Vienna, among them three pan-European mainline rail routes. The The subway system consists of five lines. The new, ultra-modern Hauptbahnhof (Vienna Main trains stop at 104 stations along 78.5 km of Station) opened in December 2014 and is one of track. All platforms are equipped with electronic the most advanced hubs in the entire trans-Eu- information displays that show the waiting time ropean rail network. It is used by around 150,000 in addition to the destination. Vienna’s subway people and more than 1,000 trains each day. It system is well equipped for guests with disabili- is also served by eight rapid transit train lines ties and special needs. All subway stations and (S-Bahn), two bus routes, three tram routes and trains are almost entirely wheelchair-accessible. a subway line. Almost all stations have “guiding strips” for the visually impaired, showing the way to stairs, escalators and elevators. On weekdays, the Port of Vienna underground trains (U-Bahn) run from about The Port of Vienna is the largest public dock on 5 a.m. in the morning to about midnight. Vienna’s the Danube. One of Europe’s most technologi- subway lines operate 24 hours a day on Friday cally advanced container terminals, it has excel- night, Saturday night and on the nights before lent links to the rail and road networks, water- holidays. The route of the U1 subway line will ways and Vienna International Airport, making it be expanded by another 4.6 km – or five new

www.emazingvienna.at 11 12 stations – by 2017. Work on the expansion of the Citybike U2 subway line will be under way until 2023. Both “Citybikes” can be rented at 121 stations. the extended U2 line and a new subway line are Citybikes may be rented out and returned at any scheduled to open at the end of 2023. of the public rental stations in Vienna (with a credit card – Master Card, Visa, JCB – or a bank card issued by an Austrian bank). “Late bus – the Night Line” – consisting of 26 night bus lines – operates daily from 12:30 a.m. to 5 a.m. in 30-minute cycles. On the weekends, the Cycling in Vienna schedule is adapted to the continuous subway Not just Vienna’s public transportation system, operation. but also its cycling infrastructure is internation- ally renowned for its high quality – and is very popular among the city’s residents, too. The In 2016, Wiener Linien ridership stood at 954 number of routes accessible by bike has been million passengers. On average, some 2.6 million steadily increasing for years – thanks in part passengers per day use the Wiener Linien to the expansion of the city’s approximately network, for which our public transport vehicles 1,350-kilometre bike path network, which ensures cover a distance of 212,000 kilometres – roughly smooth travel in all parts of Vienna. the same distance as orbiting the earth 5 times.

The entire public transport network can be accessed for as little as one euro per day for the Wiener Linien annual pass. At the end of 2015, the number of annual pass holders (700,000) surpassed the number of registered vehicles (685,000) for the first time. Since then it has steadily been rising, reaching the record number of 733,000 at the beginning of 2017. As a recent Eurobarometer survey shows, satisfaction with public transport is highest in Vienna among the EU Cities reviewed – and the number of annual rides is expected to surpass the one billion mark soon.

www.emazingvienna.at 13 14 3 Accommodation for delegates and experts

Vienna for everybody/capacity strasse mansion houses in 2012 and was joined Visitors to Vienna have the pick of more than in 2013 by the Palais Hansen Kempinski Vienna, 33,500 hotel rooms in some 439 hotels and pen- which also occupies a traditional building on the sions. There is something for everybody, from same street. The new Hotel Park Hyatt Vienna five-star superior hotels to low-budget accom- opened in a restored historical property in the modations and noble former palaces to brand first district in the summer of 2014 next to the new hostels. luxury shopper’s paradise “Goldenes Quartier.” The Grand Ferdinand, which occupies a 1950s- era building on the Ringstrasse boulevard, offers Vienna can offer localised hotel accommoda- 188 rooms which strike the perfect balance tion to EMA experts and delegates throughout between timeless elegance and contemporary the whole year. Vienna’s hotel capacities are mod cons. The Sofitel Vienna Stephansdom is growing steadily. A further nine hotels with located on the left bank of the Danube Canal 1,600 new hotel rooms are scheduled to open in in a spectacular high-rise designed by French Vienna by 2018. star architect Jean Nouvel. The Meliá Vienna (opened in February 2014) has moved into Austria’s tallest building, the 250 meter, Exclusive hotels Dominique Perrault-designed DC Tower 1 in the You will find exclusive hotels particularly along 22nd district. The hotel restaurant and the bar the Ringstrasse boulevard – which, after all, is on the top two floors promise truly breath- where most of the elegant former palaces are taking views of the city below. located. Vienna’s first district is home to many luxury hotels, from five-star (such as the Bristol and Vienna Marriott) and five-star superior Mid-range hotels accommodations (such as the Imperial, Sacher Vienna of course also offers a broad spectrum Wien, Palais Coburg Residenz and Palais of good and fairly priced mid-range hotels. The Hansen Kempinski Vienna) to high-level but number of 3-star hotels in particular has been non-classified hotels including the Grand Hotel steadily increasing in recent years, and there are Wien and Le Méridien. The Ritz-Carlton Vienna now more than 170 throughout the city. Many took up residence in several refurbished Ring- of them have clear design ambitions of their

www.emazingvienna.at 15 own and most are centrally located in addition. Serviced apartments They might not be as glamorous as the exclusive Those who intend to spend more time in Vienna addresses along the Ringstrasse boulevard, but and prefer more independent surroundings will they have one aspect in common with the city’s find fully equipped and serviced apartments best-known hotels: the world-famous charm that (WIFI, kitchen, cleaning) in historical and modern distinguishes Vienna and makes it a popular des- settings; apartment sizes vary and rental rates tination for tourists and business travellers alike. are affordable. The option of a serviced apart- ment particularly serves the interests of those who need more time in their search for a family Hostels and low-budget accommodations home. Vienna’s hostels and low-budget accommoda- tions offer a more than satisfactory alternative for overnight guests. The German low budget chain –– ViennaSuits Motel One operates four hotels in Vienna – the www.viennasuites.at/Apartments newest of them, located at Vienna’s Main Station –– Central Apartments Vienna (Hauptbahnhof), offers 533 rooms. Meininger www.central-apartments-vienna.com Hotels runs three hotels in the capital (one close –– IG Serviced Apartments to Hauptbahnhof and two in the second dis- www.ig-serviced-apartments.com trict), while Austrian hostel chain Wombat’s has –– Wienwert three premises, one of which is on the popular wienwert.wien Naschmarkt. –– Room4Rent www.room4rent.at

HOTEL CAPACITIES

Total 3,939 4,805 rooms 439 hotels rooms 33,563 rooms

***** 21 hotels 9,026 rooms **** 164 hotels *** 172 hotels 15,793 rooms **/* 82 hotels

16 4 R&D and scientific community

Some 190,000 students enrolled in a multitude of life sciences field. With about 33,000 students, study programs ranging from European law and Vienna is a hotspot for higher education in the international management to the life sciences, life sciences in Europe. engineering, translation studies and computer science make Vienna the most important talent pool in German-speaking Europe. This not only A multitude of publications per year (4,816 in benefits academic research, but also the busi- 2014) in peer-reviewed journals is evidence of ness side and the public sector. Vienna’s strong the high-quality research performed in Vienna. research and development (R&D) focus is Grants awarded by the European Research reflected in a 3.5% ratio of R&D expenditures to Council are another indicator for excellence: gross domestic product, compared with an EU through 2017, Austrian-based researchers suc- average of <2%. ceeded in attracting the remarkable number of 74 ERC grants in the life sciences.

Vienna can look back on an extensive scientific tradition in medical research. Semmelweis, Medical University of Vienna: the most Freud, Billroth and Landsteiner are only a few in prominent partner for medical and clinical a long line of prominent names. The outstanding research in Austria reputation of Vienna’s medical schools continues The Medical University of Vienna is one of to grow both in academia and at the business the longest-standing medical training and level due to the excellent and vibrant scientific, research institutions in Europe. With a staff of clinical and entrepreneurial environment pre- 5,500 educating 8,000 students, it is the largest vailing in Austria. medical training facility in German-speaking Europe today. It is also one of the most impor- tant medical research institutions in Europe and Life sciences in Vienna is closely linked with Europe’s largest , Austria’s capital Vienna plays an outstanding the Vienna General Hospital. role when it comes to education and research in the field of life sciences - not only at the national level, but also on an international scale. Furthermore, five excellent research clusters have been established at the Medical Univer- sity campus, focusing on immunology, cancer, Five universities, two universities of applied medical neuroscience, medical imaging and sciences and eleven non-university research cardiovascular diseases. institutions employ 12,000 individuals in the

www.emazingvienna.at 17 18 The campus is complemented by the Center for communication association, a public relations Molecular Medicine (CeMM), an outstanding agency and a business incubator. translational research institute of the Austrian Academy of Sciences. Around 1,400 scientists and 700 students from more than 40 nations are currently working With its 27 clinical departments, the Medical and studying at the Vienna Biocenter, together University of Vienna is a highly recognised forming one of the leading international biomedi- partner for conducting all stages of clinical trials cal research centres worldwide. in almost any indication. A clinical trials coordi- nation centre provides support and services to internal and external partners and stands for Other prominent stakeholders of the professional management of clinical studies. Vienna region life sciences ecosystem The University of Vienna is Austria’s oldest and largest academic institution. The Faculty of Life Through 2030, some 2.2 billion euros will be Sciences of the University of Vienna is charac- invested to lift research, education and training at terised by a wide variety of disciplines, which the Medical University of Vienna to the next level. include all aspects of life: its development, evolution, diversity and interaction with the environment, as well as the fields of Vienna Biocenter – a hotspot for life pharmaceuticals and nutrition. sciences in Europe Since 1988, the Vienna Biocenter has developed The University of Natural Resources and Life into one of the most outstanding and prominent Sciences focuses mainly on agricultural and life sciences clusters not only in Austria but applied biotechnology, microbiology, food also in Central Europe. This development was science, applied genetics and chemistry. initiated by the foundation of a basic research institute by Boehringer Ingelheim – the Institute The University of Veterinary Medicine Vienna is of Molecular Pathology (IMP). Besides the IMP, the oldest such institution in German-speaking the campus currently hosts three basic research Europe and has special expertise in food and institutes (the Institute of Molecular Biotech- vector-borne diseases. nology – IMBA – and the Gregor Mendel Insti- tute of Molecular Plant Biology – GMI – both of The Institute of Science and Technology Austria them associated with the Austrian Academy of (IST Austria), the Austrian Institute of Technology Sciences, and the Max F. Perutz Laboratories, a (AIT), institutes of the Ludwig Boltzmann Gesell- joint research centre of the University of Vienna schaft as well as Christian Doppler Laboratories and the Medical University of Vienna), the Vienna are additional institutions which to some extent Biocenter Core Facilities (VBCF) providing state- focus strongly on the life sciences or medical of-the-art scientific infrastructure, 16 companies, research. one university of applied sciences, one science

www.emazingvienna.at 19 20 5 AGES MEA – The Austrian Regulatory Agency

“Agency for Health and Food to providing scientific advice: AGES MEA con- Safety – Austrian Medicines & sistently ranks among the leading medicines agencies in the EU in terms of providing phar- Medical Devices Agency” maceutical companies with valuable support in developing new and life-saving medicines via AGES MEA is responsible for a wide variety of the EU/EMA network. Together with the UK, tasks in the licensing of pharmaceuticals, clini- Austria currently ranks first among all EU agen- cal testing of medicines and medical devices, cies with regard to scientific advice. pharmacovigilance and vigilance in the field of Extensive know-how is available to serve the medical devices, as well as in the field of inspec- needs of all applicants and customers. There tion. The Austrian Medicines Agency is located are significant capacities and, most importantly, in Vienna, the capital of Austria. a clear dedication to supporting EMA’s work in European drug regulation and market approvals in an even more pronounced way in the future, A strong partner to the European as well as to assuming a key role as EMA‘s Medicines Agency national partner and a leading player in the The Austrian Medicines Agency is enthusiastic regulatory network. Concisely put, Austria about the Austrian government‘s decision to already has a strong national medicines agency, submit a bid to host the European Medicines which makes Austria an ideal candidate to host Agency in Vienna. AGES MEA is already a very EMA in combination with all the other strong partner to EMA. It plays a key role with advantages the country has to offer. regard to rapporteurships in centralised appli- cations for marketing authorisations for new medicines. The Austrian agency is not only a key player in EMA-related activities, however, but also offers impressive statistics for non-EMA related ac- International ranking tivities, such as mutually recognized products, Austria also plays a leading role when it comes decentralised procedures and the continued

www.emazingvienna.at 21 diligent maintenance of medicinal products AGES MEA’s impressive and significant contri- authorized by the Austrian agency. bution to EMA’s work activities so far provides clear evidence of, and strongly underpins, the agency’s focus on significantly contributing to Furthermore, Austria plays a significant role as promoting the European and national medicines a Reference Member State (RMS) in medicines market, ensuring safe and effective medicines product authorisation and evaluation via the and accelerating patient access to new, life- mutual recognition and decentralised authori- saving medicines. sation procedures (MRP/DCP). For many years now, AGES MEA has ranked among the top 10 agencies in the EU with regard to MRP/DCP Hosting EMA in the heart of Europe will give the procedures. GxP inspections activities are also Austrian agency a clear mandate and impetus a mainstay of AGES MEA. The Austrian agency to grow and build up capacities particularly already contributes in a very relevant way to for EMA-related activities, as well as to serve European inspection activities and is focused as a reliable and efficient partner to EMA, the on broadening these activities to serve EMA‘s pharmaceutical industry, patients and all other inspectorate even better in the future. stakeholders.

A reliable partner for the future Members of the Austrian agency are also very The Austrian Medicines Agency today employs active in the different EMA committees and around 280 highly specialized and well educated working groups. employees and is highly willing and prepared to pursue further growth. AGES MEA operates as an authority of the Republic of Austria, but also possesses a high level of agility due to its fundamental private legal structure. As it is self-financed, full flexibility exists to adapt the size of the Austrian agency to future European needs and to establish necessary collaborations. AGES MEA is able to recruit much faster and more effectively (as regards the compensation system, for example) than other Austrian federal services as it is not hampered by the usual rigid processes and systems.

22 www.emazingvienna.at 23 6 Pharmaceutical industry

Thanks to its strategic location, most of the 13,950 people and generating 6.7 billion euros in world’s top-ranked pharmaceutical companies revenue. Vienna is Austria’s driving force for the according to sales maintain a strategic presence biotech and pharmaceutical industry: 64% of all in Vienna. While many companies have set up Austrian firms in this sector are located here. In regional headquarters to serve the Central and 2014, 91 pharmaceutical sales offices had some Eastern European market, some global players 4,750 employees and a turnover of 4.7 billion even carry out research and development or euros. This underscores the strategic import- manufacturing in Austria. This includes com- ance the Austrian capital plays in this business panies like Boehringer Ingelheim, Novartis, within Europe. Octapharma, Pfizer or Shire. Recent investment decisions confirm Austria’s relevance for this business sector. A growing biotech start-up Medicines tested in clinical trials in community boosts home-grown innovations Austria for a global market. Each year, more than ten Austria has become a top location for drug new life science companies open their doors in development. In 2015, more than 300 clinical Vienna and strive to occupy a variety of market trials, most of them in oncology, were applied for niches. in Austria, compared with 4,400 in the EU/EEA overall. Around 70% of clinical trials in Austria are carried out by the pharmaceutical industry Life sciences in Vienna at a glance (industry-sponsored), while 30% are implemen- The Austrian capital city Vienna plays an out- ted by academic researchers (academic-spon- standing role in the life sciences – not just at sored). About half of the clinical trials applied the national level, but also internationally. In 2014, for in Austria are Phase III studies. Some 6,000 a total of 480 companies, research institutions patients have participated in industry-sponsored and other core organizations were active in the trials, including about 1,500 in oncology. life science sector in Vienna, with a combined workforce of 35,730 people. Renowned research-based pharmaceuti- cal companies Biotech and pharmaceutical industry: Boehringer Ingelheim’s Regional Center Vienna facts & figures is responsible for business and clinical research In 2014, 216 biotechnology and pharmaceutical in more than 30 countries in Central and Eastern companies were active in Vienna, employing Europe, Central Asia, Israel and Switzerland.

24 6 So far, two innovative treatments developed in Vienna and has 1,500 employees in Austria. Star- Vienna for non-small cell lung cancer as well as ting in 2021, the new large-scale biopharmaceuti- one for idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis have been cal facility will enable the production of active successfully introduced to the market. In Vienna, ingredients using cell cultures in order to meet Boehringer Ingelheim runs its global drug dis- growing in-house and contract manufacturing covery centre for new cancer medicines. One demands. Some 400 new jobs will be created. 80 significant link providing orientation for stocking researchers are working on immunotherapeutic the pipeline is interaction with the company’s approaches for various types of cancer. basic research institute, the Institute of Mo- lecular Pathology (IMP), which is also located in Vienna. Octapharma, a privately owned global human protein manufacturer, is dedicated to the safe and optimal use of human proteins from plasma Another noteworthy example is Novartis, which and cell lines in order to improve patients’ lives. is the largest pharmaceutical company in Austria It is currently investing 20 million euros in the based on the number of employees. Novartis construction of a new lab and office building in not only invested some 145 million euros in 2015 Vienna. Octapharma employs almost 1,000 highly to upgrade its R&D production plant in Tyrol, but skilled employees in Austria. also increased its activities in connection with clinical studies. Small and medium-sized enterprises engage in drug development As one of Austria’s leading life science compa- Vienna currently hosts 16 small and medium- nies, Pfizer continuously invests in clinical rese- sized biotech companies with clinical stage arch. One prominent example is the PALLAS development programs. In addition to addressing trial. This EUR 340 million Phase III study is rare diseases, these programs also focus on designed to evaluate whether a specific CDK major unmet medical needs including antibiotics inhibitor is able to reduce the risk of breast for multidrug resistant bacteria, vaccines for cancer recurrence when taken in combination the chikungunya and Zika viruses, cancer and with endocrine therapy in the adjuvant setting. allergies.

Biopharmaceutical players investing in Courageous entrepreneurs also strive to Vienna conquer a broad variety of market niches in the Vienna is also an attractive investment location (bio)pharmaceutical sector. In recent years, more for the global pharmaceutical industry: than ten life science start-ups have been estab- Boehringer Ingelheim invests 700 million euros lished in Vienna each year. in its biopharmaceutical production capacities in

www.emazingvienna.at 25 26 7 Vienna - an ICT hub

In recent years, Vienna has established itself as –– Atos IT Solutions and Services GmbH: an IT network hub. Based on a desire to play a https://atos.net/en/ pioneering role in the 21st century communica- –– Datasix GmbH: tion society, too, a thriving ICT scene developed http://www.datasix.at/en/company/ in Austria – and particularly in Vienna – already –– Next layerTelekommunikationsdienst- at an early stage. leistungs- und BeratungsGmbH: https://www.nextlayer.at/

The Austrian government’s ambitious objec- tives – such as introducing e-government, These data centres satisfy the Tier 3 and Tier 4 pioneering the 5G mobile network, embracing standards and hold ISO-9001, ISO-27001 or ISO- e-health or providing test areas for autonomous 22301 security certifications, as well as important driving – offer fertile ground for information and Internet exchanges such as InterXion Vienna network technology experts. More than 12,000 (VIX2) or the University of Vienna (VIX1). IT companies in Vienna are a stark testament to how important the technology of the 21st century is for Austria. What’s more, over 80 percent of To help ensure that this remains the case in the Viennese households are linked with broadband future, the computer science department of the Internet, which shows how quickly the network- prominent technical university “TU Wien” trains ing of households has caught on and how well 500 new IT experts each year. It is Austria’s accepted new media and Internet technology preeminent research and training facility for are. computer science and business information systems, with research focal points in the areas of logic and computation, media informatics Vienna is well equipped to serve as an ICT and visual computing, distributed and parallel hub in the future thanks particularly to a large systems, computer engineering and business number of IT experts, excellent infrastructure informatics. that includes several data centres:

–– Nessus GmbH: https://www.nessus.at/ –– e-shelter facility service GmbH: https://www.e-shelter.de/de/location/ datacenter-wien

www.emazingvienna.at 27 28 8 Quality of life and city of diversity

Vienna ranks first according to Mercer The city’s international appeal stems from In 2017, Vienna was named the world’s most its cosmopolitan outlook, which in turn is a livable city for the eighth time in a row by byproduct of its multicultural makeup. A walk Mercer. Each year the international consultants through one of the capital’s markets such as conduct a quality of life survey in 230 major Naschmarkt soon reveals this diversity, as does towns and cities worldwide. Criteria include the traditional Viennese cuisine, which is awash with political, social and economic climate, medical delicious dishes shaped by all of the countries services, education and infrastructure facilities of the former Austro-Hungarian empire. Today including public transportation, power and water the Austrian capital is home to people from 200 utilities. Also taken into consideration are leisure different countries. Over 600,000 people of inter- facilities such as restaurants, theatres (also in national origin live in Vienna. english language), cinemas and sports facilities, the availability of consumer goods ranging from food to automobiles, and environmental factors Vienna is the world capital of music including green space and air quality. Every night around 10,000 music lovers are treated to live classical music – something no other city in the world can rival. Each year the Vienna is one of the world’s safest cities. Vienna concert schedule includes more than According to the Eurobarometer survey, 15,000 events of various sizes and genres. 450 87 percent of the city’s residents feel safe in balls provide around 2,000 hours of dancefloor Vienna. When asked if they feel safe in the magic every year, and the Life Ball AIDS charity area where they live, the number rises to an event has shot to international fame. No other even more impressive 92 percent. city has been home to so many composers – Mozart, Mahler, Haydn, Beethoven and Johann Strauss, the king of the Viennese waltz, being a Half of the city’s total area is accounted for by few of the best-known names in this area. gardens, parks, woods and agricultural land. Vienna is also the only major capital with a sig- nificant winegrowing industry, with 660 hectares Vienna has around 100 museums of vineyards. Among the treasures that await discovery are the world’s largest Bruegel collection and one of the most important Kunstkammer (chambers of arts and wonder) at the Vienna Museum of

www.emazingvienna.at 29 Art History. The Upper Belvedere is home to –– In 2010 the city also opened its wed- the world famous painting “The Kiss” by Gustav ding halls and all locations for dream Klimt. The Albertina collection is one of the weddings to those looking to enter into leading art collections worldwide, while the registered partnerships. MuseumsQuartier – with an area of 60,000 m² –– Vienna’s anti-discrimination law goes – is one of the ten largest cultural complexes on well beyond the EU directives and is the planet. characterized by protection of all diver- sity characteristics in all areas of life.

The combination of high political and social sta- bility, low-cost living space, excellent infrastruc- LGBTIQ community ture and an excellent cultural offering speaks for Vienna is home to a thriving and diverse LGBTIQ the city. Mountain spring water straight from the community. In addition to numerous bars and tap, travelling through Vienna by metro for one night clubs, various societies, groups and media euro a day, expansive parks and green areas in the city advocate for the interests of LGBTIQ that make up 50% of the city – all this and more persons at different levels. will help you feel at home in Vienna right away.

In the antidiscrimination office for same-sex Vienna – city of diversity and transgender lifestyles (WASt), Vienna offers No matter whom you love, Vienna loves you! a consulting centre for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and intersex persons. Vienna is the second European city after Berlin with its own As a growing city, Vienna is also an attractive center for Rainbow Families. destination for young people and families from all over the world thanks to its charming mixture of classic cultural offerings, exciting leisure acti- Events for the LGBTIQ community vities and diverse recreation areas. Vienna is the Vienna’s most visible signal to this community is new home of choice for people from all parts of the Life Ball – the world’s biggest Aids charity the world, who enrich and influence the develop- event – which has taken place at Vienna’s city ment of the city with their diverse cultural hall since 1993. Each year hundreds of thou- backgrounds. For centuries, Vienna has been sands of people march along the Ringstrasse a melting pot of nations and a colourful mix of boulevard in Vienna and celebrate diversity new and old, tolerant and multicultural. during the Rainbow Parade. The Rainbow Ball and the Rose Ball are recommended for those crazy about dancing. The city’s open and creative atmosphere wel- comes all those who want to realise their own personal living concept in Vienna. For example:

30 www.emazingvienna.at 31 9 Education in Vienna

Perfect care for youngsters Bilingual day care centres & kindergar- tens: –– The Children’s House – Vienna Mont- Parents in Vienna can rely on a well-developed essori Kindergarten: educational infrastructure for all ages. There are www.montessori-vienna.at 350 municipal/public kindergartens (for children –– Privatkindergarten Schmetterling up to age 6) and day-care centres in Vienna. www.schmetterling.at Vienna has a capacity of 86,000 childcare places –– Arche Noah for the age group 0 – 6 years. With regard to www.archenoah.vienna.at opening hours and the number of closing days, –– Kinderoase Weimar 98 percent respond to the needs of parents in www.kinderoase-weimar.at full-time employment. –– United Children www.unitedchildren.at

The City of Vienna invests substantial financial resources in the subsidisation of childcare fees in both public and privately run childcare insti- English language day care centres & kin- tutions. Parents only have to pay an income-ad- dergartens: justed contribution to the meal costs, as well as –– American International School expenses for additional extracurricular activities www.ais.at such as early childhood foreign language or –– Danube International School music tuition. www.danubeschool.com –– International Montessori Preschool www.montessori-preschool-vienna.com Foreign-language preschools are attached to a –– International Private Children House number of international schools; some regular www.privat-kindergarten.com preschools offer bilingual education. –– Vienna English Preschool www.viennaenglishpreschool.com –– Vienna International School www.vis.ac.at

32 9 –– International Christian School Suitable schools for everyone of Vienna: www.icsv.at –– Vienna Elementary School: www.ves.at In addition to 700 state schools – among them –– Mayflower Christian Academy (MCA): 20 bilingual schools – which are free of charge, www.mayflower-christian-academy.at a number of international schools offer interna- –– Lycée Français de Vienne: tional curricula (international baccalaureate) and www.lyceefrancais.at tuition in languages other than German; some of –– Swedish School of Vienna: them draw special focus on technical, business www.svenskaskolan.at oriented or social science education, providing children of all ages with a high-quality educa- tional offer. Further schools of interest: –– Grammar School Komensky (bilingual Czech/German): www.orgkomensky.at The need of schooling for EMA’s staff member –– First private Polish school in Austria: families is estimated at approximately 600 www.uczymypolskiego.at places in the segment up to the age of 18. Nine international schools in Vienna have a total capacity of 5,702 at their disposal, of which 732 are currently available (French: 366, English: 350, Universities and universities of Swedish: 16). At least two international schools applied sciences in Vienna are developing plans to expand their capacity. Brookes Educational Group, a Canadian educa- tion provider, has recently decided to establish a Vienna offers 18 universities and universities of school in Vienna by 2019 that will offer additional applied sciences and arts with the widest pos- 500 places. sible range of specialisations, including some courses and master programmes in English. Three of them offer their services and classes –– VIS – Vienna International School: completely in English. Vienna is home to 190,000 www.vis.ac.at students. –– AIS – American International School: www.ais.at –– DIS – Danube International School: Public universities: www.danubeschool.com –– Vienna University –– Amadeus International School www.univie.ac.at of Vienna: –– Technical University of Vienna www.amadeus-vienna.com www.tuwien.ac.at

www.emazingvienna.at 33 34 –– University of Economics and Business Private English speaking universities and www.wu.ac.at English speaking university of applied –– Medical University of Vienna sciences: www.meduniwien.ac.at –– Webster University –– University of Veterinary Medicine, webster.ac.at Vienna –– Modul University www.vetmeduni.ac.at www.modul.ac.at –– University of Natural Resources and –– Lauder Business School Life Sciences lbs.ac.at www.boku.ac.at –– University of Music and Performing Arts Vienna www.mdw.ac.at –– University of Applied Arts www.dieangewandte.at –– Academy of Fine Art in Vienna www.akbild.ac.at

Universities of applied sciences and pri- vate universities: –– Fachhochschule des bfi Wien www.fh-vie.ac.at –– Fachhochschule Campus Wien www.fh-campuswien.ac.at –– Fachhochschule Technikum Wien www.technikum-wien.at –– Fachhochschule der WKW www.fh-wien.ac.at –– University Vienna www.sfu.ac.at –– Music and Arts University of the City of Vienna www.muk.ac.at

www.emazingvienna.at 35 36 10 Housing in Vienna

Vienna is a fast-growing city of 1.9 million inha- Social housing bitants and will surpass the two million mark in Social housing has a long tradition in Vienna, the coming years. As a result, the city is cur- dating back to the famous policies and architec- rently experiencing a major boom in infrastruc- tural highlights of the 1920s. Today, more than ture spending, urban expansion and real estate 60% of the city’s population lives in subsidised development. housing. With holdings of 220,000 flats, the local government is the biggest landlord in Europe. The city is also currently building high-standard Residential areas housing to account for the rapidly growing An essential aspect of the high quality of life population and thus bringing about 7,000 new, in Vienna is its well established and versatile subsidised flats onto the market annually. offering of housing space. Extensive residential areas of upmarket cottages and detached houses on the outskirts – close to the Vienna As a result, rent prices are among the lowest in Woods but still within a short tram ride of the Europe. International benchmarks typically place city centre – are popular with the diplomatic rents in Vienna at about one quarter to one third community. Those who prefer urban areas are below the level of other major European cities – typically drawn to the bustling quarters bor- not counting London, where regular prices are dering Vienna’s first district and their eclectic between double and triple those in Vienna. range of gastronomic and cultural attractions, as well as their historic building structure. Yet new- comers to the city can of course also find any RENTAL PRICES FOR UNFURNISHED, other type of housing, ranging from the FOUR-ROOM UPMARKET APARTMENT glamorous to the edgy. Milan 2,849 €

Besides the Vienna Woods, which form part Amsterdam 2,331 € of what is the only UNESCO-recognised Copenhagen 2,422 € biosphere reserve directly bordering a major metropolis worldwide, Vienna features several Stockholm 2,305 € other large recreational areas. These include the Vienna 1,865 € Danube Island, the public park “Prater” and the Lobau National Park. No matter which district London 5,401 € you settle in, therefore, you will always be able 0 €1,000 €2,000 €3,000 €4,000 €5,000 €6,000 € to enjoy a walk in the nature close by.

www.emazingvienna.at 37 11 Health care in Austria

In Austria, health care is based on a social including particularly denominational ownership, insurance model that guarantees equitable and for-profit). access to high-quality health services with roughly 8.6 million people, or 99.9% of the popu- Of the 32 that offer emergency treat- lation, insured. ment, 22 are general hospitals and 10 offer specialised care (such as paediatric hospitals, orthopaedic facilities and trauma centres). The Austrian health care system provides universal coverage for an extensive range of In 29 of 32 emergency hospitals, all patients with benefits and high-quality care. The system is social insurance can receive all treatments that characterised by unrestricted access to all levels the social health insurer is obligated to cover, of care and particularly free choice of providers. regardless of whether they are being treated in public or private hospitals.

There has traditionally been a strong emphasis Privately insured and self-paying patients also on the inpatient sector, which led to the develop- receive treatment in all emergency hospitals. ment of internationally renowned hospitals such They are permitted to freely choose their doctor as the Vienna General Hospital or the St. Anna in all hospitals, and higher standards are met children’s hospital with the Children‘s Cancer with regard to accommodation and meals. Of Research Institute. With almost 8 hospital beds these hospitals, six are private “sanatoriums” per 1,000 inhabitants, Austria ranks fifth in the that generally cater to privately insured and world and ensures that the resources required self-paying patients with regard to the free to deliver services to patients in hospitals are choice of doctors (i.e. patients can bring their available. own doctors), accommodation and meals (but also treat socially insured patients; see above).

Hospitals in Vienna The high number of contracted specialists Vienna has a high concentration of hospitals, working in the outpatient sector is another with a total of 50 hospitals and some 14,800 characteristic of the Austrian health system, beds. ensuring timely and easily accessible care of the highest quality. Of these 50 hospitals, 29 are publicly owned, while 21 are privately owned (both non-profit,

38 11

www.emazingvienna.at 39 MEDICAL PRACTITIONERS IN VIENNA Furthermore, the strong commitment to a comprehensive and resilient public health care system ensures that Austria is typically among 940 the first countries to make innovative and Total (incl. dentists) orphan medicines publicly available. 6,060

Dentists General practitioners Numerous medical universities with a long- State-licensed physicians 1,410 standing tradition ensure that a high number of Specialist physicians physicians are trained at an excellent level. This excellence is reflected in the outstanding career 3,690 20 prospects faced by medical graduates, who are highly sought-after by the neighbouring coun- tries. Despite the great demand from institutions (as of 2016; source: Gesundheit Österreich GmbH) abroad, Austria has the second-highest number of practising doctors per capita among the Euro- To ensure that the Austrian health care system pean countries. is optimally prepared for the coming decades, a particular priority in health policy is to strengthen primary care by applying a very comprehensive The high value Austrians attach to health care approach based on international best practices has also led to the establishment of holistic and evidence. wellness, spa and rehabilitation centres that increasingly attract medical tourists from all over Innovation and expansion of services the world. Health governance pursues the main objective of ensuring and expanding access to and quality of medical treatment in Austria. To allow for Free choice of providers innovation in the system and the expansion of Patients can choose their family physician and the services provided, public expenditures for have free access to most other forms of medical health care have been steadily increased (even care. during the recent economic crisis).

In contrast with many other countries, there is This has enabled the introduction of measures no obligation in Austria to enrol with a specific such as the inclusion of vaccines against 13 physician or consult a physician prior to acces- pathogens for children and adolescents free sing specialised treatment in the outpatient or of charge in the range of public health care hospital sector. services and the abolishment of deductibles for hospital stays for young people.

40 This high degree of choice has led to a variety of innovative care models both in the private and the public sectors, and enables specialised care models for international citizens (particularly staff of the United Nations in Vienna).

In conclusion, the Austrian health care system guarantees a high quality of health care pro- vision, and there is a strong commitment to further health investment. This is reflected in the high level of patient satisfaction and the lowest number of unmet needs in Europe. Almost all respondents of the Special Eurobarometer 411 in Austria (96%) say that the overall quality of health care is very good.

Unmet need for medical examination (in % of total population)

14,0

12,0

10,0

8,0

6,0

4,0

2,0

0,0

Source: OECD Health at a Glance 2016 www.emazingvienna.at 41 42 12 Mobility within the EU

EU or EEA citizens (EU countries plus Iceland, –– attend an Austrian school or recog- Liechtenstein and Norway) and Swiss nationals nised education facility as a main benefit from the freedom of establishment and purpose of their stay and earn a se- freedom of movement for workers. Citizens from cure living and have sufficient health the European Economic Area (EEA) as well as insurance coverage. Swiss nationals and their families are free to immigrate to any country of the European Union or the EEA. EEA and Swiss family members EEA or Swiss family members may reside in Workers from these countries therefore have Austria for more than three months if they are: free access to the labour market in Austria and do not require any further authorisation to pursue employment here. –– spouses or registered partners –– direct descendants of an EEA national or his/her spouse or his/her registe- If EU and Swiss citizens or their family members red partner aged 21 years or younger, intend to stay in Austria for more than three or else older, provided they actually months, permanent residence has to be regis- receive financial support tered with the responsible residence authorities –– related to the EEA national or his/her within four months after their arrival in Austria. spouse or his/her registered partner in a direct ascending line, provided they actually receive financial support EU and Swiss citizens –– life partners in a proven long-term EU and Swiss citizens may reside in Austria for relationship more than three months if they –– other relatives of the sponsor having already received financial support from the sponsor in their country of origin, or –– are employed or self-employed in having already lived in the same house- Austria hold with sponsor in their country of –– have adequate means of subsistence origin, or are in need of personal care to support themselves and their de- by the sponsor due to serious health pendants and have sufficient health conditions. insurance coverage for themselves and their family members

www.emazingvienna.at 43 For EEA or Swiss citizens who have a right of –– family members of EEA or Swiss residence in Austria, a registration certificate citizens or their spouses or registered will be issued as a formal documentation of the partners in a direct ascending line (par- application. ents or grandparents), provided they actually receive financial support.

EEA or Swiss nationals with a right of residence under EU law shall obtain the right of long-term The responsible residence authority can be residence after five years of lawful residence in either: Austria without interruption. Upon application, they shall be issued a “Long-Term Residence –– the state governor (Landeshauptmann) Certificate”. –– the administrative district authority (Be- zirksverwaltungsbehörde) authorised by the state governor: For family members of EEA citizens, Swiss –– the district administration citizens or Austrians who have exercised their (Bezirkshauptmannschaft) right to free movement within the EEA or Swit- –– in statutory cities: the magistrate zerland and who are not EEA or Swiss citizens, (Magistrat) a residence card can be issued. After five years –– in Vienna: Municipal Department 35 of permanent and legal residence in Austria, a (MA 35) permanent residence card can be issued.

Family members from third countries Further information can be found on the follo- Third-country family members of EEA or Swiss wing website: http://www.migration.gv.at/en/ citizens may reside in Austria for more than three months if they are:

–– spouses or registered partners –– family members of EEA or Swiss citizens or their spouses or registered partners in a direct descending line (children, grandchildren) until they reach the age of 21 and beyond, pro- vided they actually receive financial support

44 www.emazingvienna.at 45 13 Expat and relocation support

Expat Center Vienna of personalised advice. The staff members will Vienna hosts expatriates from all over the world. listen carefully to the client’s issues so as to To help these expats and their families get off understand his or her personal situation and will to the best start in their new home, the City of then provide the client with all information and Vienna and the Vienna Business Agency joined contacts needed to manage this situation. And forces already in 2010 as one of the first cities if it ever comes to the point at which our highly in Europe to establish the Expat Center Vienna. experienced team is unable to meet a client’s This is THE first contact point for all needs and needs straight away, the client can always rely questions an expatriate might have about living on a proven network of other experienced and and working in Vienna. Located centrally in the multilingual experts such as real estate agents heart of the city and staffed by a multilingual and moving companies, as well as lawyers, tax team of experts from various fields, the centre advisors and other professionals who will be provides information and guidance on a broad happy to provide further assistance. range of topics every new arrival might be con- fronted with while settling in Vienna. Regardless NUMBER OF INDIVIDUAL of what the topic is – from looking for a first CONSULTATIONS BY HOME COUNTRY 2016 apartment in Vienna to issues with matters such as schooling or leisure activities to finding the US right new networks to connect to in the city: the DE team at the Expat Center provides cost-free, UK independent and unbiased advice and personal 24% 22% consulting to all clients on whatever their needs IE and questions might be. IT IN Personalised advice 3% 1,347 3% JP The Expat Center offers factsheets and bro- 3% % chures on many of the most common topics, but 21 FR 3% of course can also be contacted by telephone, 3% AU e-mail and for personal consulting. Which- 3% RU ever form of contact clients choose, they can 5% 10% always rely on getting the same high standard Others

Source: Expat Center Vienna, 2016

46 13 Today the multilingual team (12 languages Due to its long tradition as an international spoken) of the Expat Center provides its ser- hub, of course, Vienna also has a vibrant scene vices to more than 1,000 expatriates every year. of other non-governmental organisations to Should EMA relocate to Vienna, the City of ensure that expatriates do not get homesick. Vienna would increase the capacity of the Expat From international sports clubs and leisure Center in order to safeguard the best possible groups to professional networking organisations support for EMA employees. or women’s groups – every possible form of socialising opportunity is catered to, both in the form of online or social media groups as well To integrate EMA employees into the process as in real life. The experts of the Expat Center at a very early stage with minimum personal Vienna can provide their clients with individual effort, furthermore, Austrian experts could travel information on all these possibilities and make to London and present all relevant aspects the necessary connections. connected with relocation to Vienna at a “reloca- tion fair”.

Support by the Federal Ministry for Europe, Integration and Foreign Affairs At the national level, the experienced staff of the Federal Ministry for Europe, Integration and Foreign Affairs as well as other parts of the central administration provide efficient support to the international organisations and their staff with regard to issues of security, respect for diplomatic immunity and the handling of admin- istrative and protocol issues.

Socialising possibilities In addition to these services, the team of the Expat Center Vienna also organises a range of activities through the “Expat Club Vienna,” which is also free of charge. Members of the interna- tional community can use the club to network with internationally minded locals at monthly events that range from company visits to waltz- ing courses.

www.emazingvienna.at 47 14 Privileges and immunities

Protocol No. 7 applicable to EMA right to import one motor vehicle every four Protocol (No. 7) on the Privileges and Immuni- years for personal use free of duty, the right to ties of the European Union (OJ C 326, October participate in any branch of the social insurance 26, 2012, p. 266) and the Modalities of Application (health, accident and pension insurance) and of the Protocol on the Privileges and Immunities unemployment insurance systems, and access of the European Communities between the Aus- to the UN Commissary for staff, as well as dip- trian Federal Government and the Commission lomatic privileges and immunities for senior staff of the European Communities, signed in Brus- members. sels on January 20, 2000, would be applicable to EMA and its staff members. These instruments grant, inter alia, exemption from direct taxes Privileged tax treatment and inviolability of the seat of EMA, functional Furthermore, Austrian tax law provides for pri- immunity and privileges for its staff, including vileged tax treatment of highly skilled scientists exemption from income tax on pensions paid and researchers moving to Austria. This tax by the EU and exemption from indirect taxes treatment could apply not only to staff members (value-added tax and excise tax) for goods and of the EMA, but also to the relocations of staff services for invoice amounts exceeding members of its stakeholders. Highly skilled 73 euros. scientists and researchers are therefore eligible to request an allowance for relocations to Austria (Zuzugsfreibetrag) unless they had their Headquarters agreement centre of vital interests in Austria in the past five Once the decision on the future seat of EMA years. The total grant amounts to 30% of the is taken, complementary provisions would applicant’s income related to scientific activities be negotiated in a separate headquarters and subject to the standard taxation rate. The agreement. For example, the Headquarters allowance covers all relocation-related expenses Agreement between the Republic of Austria and (e.g. housing search, issuing of documents, lan- the European Union Agency for Fundamental guage courses). If granted, the taxpayer is enti- Rights, Austrian Federal Law Gazette III No. tled to claim the allowed deductions for up to 10/2011, provides for, among others aspects, the five years (60 months). However, the benefits freedom to acquire immovable property under will expire earlier in the event of certain condi- the same conditions as Austrian nationals, the tions (e.g. change of profession, emigration).

48 14 15 Business environment for foreign companies

east and west. Vienna is a centre of international Vienna - Dynamic Business trade at the crossroads of Europe, with more Location than 130,000 companies.

Vienna has a lot to offer, especially as a location Demand for highly qualified staff for foreign companies interested in relocating Vienna is also an investment hotspot for foreign to this capital at the heart of Europe jointly with companies. The investment-friendly climate EMA. makes Vienna a good location for innovation and successful investments. The total volume of direct investment by foreign companies is Vienna is one of the five most prosperous more than 90 billion euros. This means that 65% regions in the European Union and enjoys an of Austrian foreign capital is invested in Vienna. excellent international reputation. The main investors come from Germany, Italy and the United States.

As a thriving metropolis and the second-largest German-speaking city after Berlin, Vienna is Vienna has a population of 1.9 million inhabitants. marked by rapid population growth. The city on Half of the Viennese population has a migration the Danube has an extremely high level of eco- background. This is a good source for the re- nomic output. Although only a fifth of Austria’s cruitment of multilingual staff. population lives in Vienna, the city generates around one quarter of the country’s total economic output. One strength of Vienna’s economy is the strong focus on services. Service providers account for more than 85% of Vienna’s total economic The intercultural understanding that has grown output of 84 billion euros. Viennese service over time and the many years of international providers such as banks, law firms, IT and real cooperation make the city an ideal hub between estate companies offer a historically matured

www.emazingvienna.at 49 50 understanding of foreign cultures. All these Service providers for foreign companies service providers act in a reliable way, The Chamber of Commerce and Industry, the internationally and in coordination with strong Austrian Business Agency (ABA) and the companies in the areas of transportation, Vienna Business Agency (VBA) will support telecommunications, information technology foreign companies on their way to Vienna free or research and development (R&D). They of charge right from the start of their journey. contribute to service exports totalling 13 billion euros. The ABA serves companies that are considering moving to Austria and provides all the necessary Vienna is an economic hub in the centre of contacts required in Austria. It offers customised Europe, with 220 corporations maintaining regio- information about Austria as a business location, nal headquarters in the city. Some 380 internati- sectors, technologies and markets, and political onal headquarters are located in Austria overall. and economic conditions. That means that around 60% of all Austrian headquarters are based in Vienna. Along with political stability, security and transparent laws, The VBA helps foreign companies to find and this makes Vienna the preferred hub for inter- select the right location in Vienna, gives advice national companies that have a permanent need on funding and financing issues and forwards for multilingual, well-educated employees. such information, provides support in the search for staff and offers excellent contacts to lawyers and tax advisers. Pool of highly skilled workforce Vienna is a city of science – this is reflected in the fact that it is home to the largest university The experts of the Chamber of Commerce of in German-speaking Europe. Every year, around Vienna, specialised in life science, provide pro- 20,000 people graduate from Vienna’s univer- fessional counselling and multilingual services. sities and 3,700 from universities of applied The Viennese Chamber offers guidance in all science. More than 50% of them complete a economic activities and entrepreneurial matters degree in technology, business or science, – from labour law through tax law to tariff infor- forming an almost limitless pool of highly skilled mation. What’s more, they highlight opportunities workers in Vienna. to make full use of networks in politics, industry and educational facilities.

www.emazingvienna.at 51 52 16 Medical conferences and conventions

Vienna has established an outstanding reputa- –– 3 convention centers ( Vienna, tion as a conference destination and has held Austria Center Vienna, Messe Wien top positions in relevant rankings for many Exhibition & Congress Center) years. The latest ranking published by the Inter- –– Around 100 conference hotels in diffe- national Congress and Convention Association rent categories (ICCA) showed Vienna fourth among confe- –– 30 sites at 13 universities rence destinations worldwide in 2015. –– Historic palaces & museums –– Theaters, concert halls & opera houses –– Contemporary locations & former in- In 2016, Vienna hosted a total of 4,084 confer- dustrial buildings ences and corporate events, which generated –– Clubs & bars induced economic impact of more than one billion euros. This includes 739 international congresses, which have the greatest impact on Medical congresses in Vienna the overall results of the meetings industry in In recent years, Vienna has developed into a top Vienna. Accounting for just 18% of all meetings location for medical congresses. 181 national in 2016, this segment contributed 51% of all parti- and 118 international congresses in the field of cipants, 75% of overnights and 80% of economic human medicine were held in Vienna in 2016. impact. These congresses have enhanced Austria’s reputation among the international medical community. Convention locations Inviting locations, high quality services and an excellent reputation give Vienna an important advantage in the highly competitive meetings Radiotherapy 5,000 industry. In addition to excellent accessibility and and Oncology top services for event organizers, more than 150 Neuropsycho- impressive venues in Vienna provide the ideal pharmacology 8,000 setting for unique events. The majority of them are located in the city center, within easy reach Gastroenterology 14,000 – particularly using public transportation.

Radiology 22,000

participants 5,000 10,000 15,000 20,000 25,000

www.emazingvienna.at 53 54 17 International organisations and NGOs in Vienna

The hosting of international organisations has the work and environment of international been a core element of Austria’s foreign policy organisations. since the 1970s. Vienna is a leading base of international institutions together with New York, Geneva, Brussels and The Hague. Vienna is The Federal Law on the Granting of Privileges also one of the four headquarters of the United to Non-Governmental International Organiza- Nations. Altogether some 40 international tions provides a fitting legal framework: upon organisations have established headquarters or request by an organisation, the Federal Ministry detached offices in Vienna, the biggest entities for Europe, Integration and Foreign Affairs may being the UNOV, the IAEA, UNIDO, the CTBTO, grant legal status as an “international non- the OSCE and OPEC. More than 6,000 expatri- governmental organisation” by decree. ate employees of international organisations and accredited diplomats form the core of Vienna’s international community and contribute to the Since 2016, furthermore, NGOs have had the international flavour of the city. The Austrian opportunity to apply for recognition as “quasi- Federal Government and the City of Vienna international organisations”, provided that they cooperate closely to make the city as attractive fulfil the requirements stipulated by law. The and as liveable as possible for international legal status of a quasi-international organisation organisations and their staff members and fami- entails, inter alia, certain tax exemptions. lies. With regard to EU institutions, the Euro- pean Agency for Fundamental Rights (FRA) is headquartered in Vienna. Presence of international media Due not least to the presence of international organisations, a large number of international Civil society and NGOs news agencies, TV channels and print media are As civil society very often interacts with inter- represented in Vienna; their branch offices and national organisations and other international correspondents cover events in Austria as well actors in the form of non-governmental organi- as in Central and Eastern Europe and dispatch sations (NGOs), Austria has traditionally given news to European countries, the United States, incentives to NGOs to locate their headquarters China, Russia and the Arab region. in this country. The aim is to further encourage

www.emazingvienna.at 55 Contents: Further information can be found

–– Federal Chancellery of the Republic of Austria on the following website: –– Federal Ministry of Health and Women‘s Affairs www.emazingvienna.at –– Federal Ministry for Europe, Integration and Foreign Affairs –– Federal Ministry of Finance –– Federal Ministry of Science, Research and Economy Imprint: –– Vienna Business Agency Media owner: Republic of Austria, Vienna –– Vienna Chamber of Commerce and Industry Publisher: Vienna Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Vienna

Photos: Cover: David Bohmann, 4: Alex Tihonovs, 6: Signa, CA Immo, schreinerkastl.at, ZOOM VP, 8: STRABAG Real Estate, Signa, Bank Austria, 12: Wirtschaftsagentur Wien, 14: GoncharukMaks, 18: Wichudapa, 20: monticello, All-stock-photos, 23: HYS_NP, 26: dotshock, 28: Orietta Gaspari, 31: Wien Tourismus/Peter Rigaud, 34: Syda Productions, 36: RossHelen, 39: Dontsov Evgeny, 42: AleksandarNakic, 45: Stokkete, 50: Stacia_S, 52: Ludwig Schedl, 54: creativemarc